The Beanie Files: Chemistry
by Silver Moon Lit Forest
Summary: AU. Minato has always liked the first day of a new school year, but he has no idea what this new school year has in store for him.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Naruto_, and I, sadly, make no money from this.

**Parings: **Minato/Shino with a side of Kankurou/Naruto and others.

**Rating:** M for lemon and language (Yay smut!)

**Ages**: Everyone is seventeen, maybe sixteen if they haven't had a birthday yet. Since it's April at the moment, and due to the fact that Naruto and Minato are twins in this and have the same birthday, they are only sixteen. Shino is seventeen. Also remember that this is an AU, so the age differences won't necessarily apply. Lee, Neji, and Tenten are the same age as Naruto and Minato, depending. Anyone who is at least two years older will stay that way, this includes Kankurou.

_Heights may vary._

**Author's Note:** First, let me explain what a Beanie File is. My friend, Sable Scribe and I were discussing how many parings we could come up with in the Naruto fandom. So, we came up with the idea of writing down all of the male character's names, the ones we liked or wanted to write parings for, on pieces of paper, and put them in two beanies. As you would imagine, we got lots of crack parings, and a few that are already loved.

Before anyone pitches a fit here, just give it a try. Temper tantrums are not appreciated but reviews are, so leave one if you please. As a side note, Rokku is Lee's last name in the Japanese version, and I like Lee from the English version so I kept it.

_Read, review, and please enjoy!_

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><p>"Come on," Minato grabbed his brother's wrist as the smaller of the two blondes tried to stuff the entirety of his on-the-go breakfast into his mouth without chocking. Naruto hopped on one foot to keep his balance as he was drug along.<p>

"Hold on," the smaller Namikaze huffed as he stumbled along behind the fast moving teen.

"We're already late," Minato told him with a glare thrown over his shoulder, "Because _someone_ couldn't get their ass up when the alarm went off." Naruto pouted, but couldn't argue with the statement.

"'S not my fault," he said in a low voice but just loud enough for his brother to hear. He didn't have to look in the other's eyes to know that Minato was rolling them at him. It wasn't his fault he wasn't a morning person. Well, maybe it was, but that didn't mean his twin had to pull him out the door as he was scarfing down his breakfast and trying to put on his tie at the same time. He had nearly chocked and face planted concrete but the taller Namikaze was having none of his excuses.

"We're bloody late, for the first day of the year." No matter how much of a slack off Minato was, he liked to be on time. At least for the first day, that is. He wasn't too worried about it at any other time during the year, but the first day was important. You got to, hopefully, meet new people on the first day. Maybe even a new homeroom teacher, not that he or his brother had even had _that _particular luxury.

No, they had been stuck with the same homeroom teacher for the past three years, including this one. Hatake Kakashi wasn't a _bad_ teacher, per say. The man was just a bit…eccentric. And that was putting it nicely. He liked to pick on his students, not that they minded too much, but he wasn't lax in job, either. They were expected to at the very least make it to the door before they were five minutes late. He took his job seriously, and their education as well. Minato figured he had cameras set up around the room, and a small screen somewhere, because he never pulled his nose out of that stupid book he was always reading, but always managed to catch them no matter how stealthy they thought they were being.

As they reached the gates, the taller of the two came to an abrupt halt and turned around to face his twin. Long finger hands pulled at the blue tie that was draped around the smaller teen's neck. Naruto lifted his chin, letting his brother quickly tie his tie. With a slightly evil smirk, Minato drew the accessory tight, bringing a shocked, slightly chocked sound from the other's mouth. He watched as his brother quickly pulled at the offending cloth, breathing a sigh of relief when his breathing wasn't hindered. Blue eye's glared into identical blue's that were laughing at him.

Opting to ignore Minato, Naruto brushed past the larger man, making his way up the stairs leading into the three story building. The smaller teen adjusted his messenger bag, which was draped across his shoulders. The both of them kicked off their street shoes in silence, sliding on the slippers tucked neatly in the small lockers. A few others apparently had similar issues that morning, and were rushing the same as them to make it to their rooms on time. The two teen's made it to their room just as the bell rung. Kakashi eyed them but said nothing.

"Okay class, we have a new student today," the silver haired man leaned against his desk. The door the two blondes had just scrambled in swung open and a tall teen walked into the room. Minato's eyes widened a fraction and he felt his heart skip a beat. The blonde shared a look with his twin, who could only roll his eyes and smile.

"This is Aburame Shino," the Hatake told the class, gesturing to the new students now standing beside him. Shino's curly, dark brown hair stood a good distance off his head in something close to an afro. Oddly golden eyes gazed at the seated students, seeming to take in each and every detail they had to offer. Pulling his hand from the pocket it had rested in, the Aburame raised his hand in greeting and simply stated, "Yo."

Minato almost wanted to laugh, almost, but he couldn't seem to find the air to make the noise. What the hell was wrong with him? No one had ever had this instant effect on him; at least it had never been this server. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt slightly high from just looking at someone. The school uniform, which usually looked ridiculous on everyone, even if they wouldn't admit it, didn't on this new guy. A gray sweater over a long-sleeved button down shirt was accompanied by black slack pants and a blue tie. The tie was loose and you could see pale skin peaking from under the shirt and sweater, which meant he had at least the first three buttons of said shirt undone. A pair of sunglasses hung from his pocket and a light brown bag was slung across his chest, bunching up the fabric covering his upper body.

Even under all of that fabric, or maybe it was due to the bag, it was apparent that this guy was more built than one would think from first glance. A small patch of pale, muscled skin could be seen above the rise of his pants where the shirt had ridden up a bit. Minato's eyes zeroed in on that spot, and he wondered briefly what it would feel like to run his finger's over something so smooth looking. Blue eyes traveled up the body, taking in what he could before he found himself caught in those golden eyes. Shino only raised an eyebrow before smirking and rattling off something about himself, but Minato didn't hear it.

The only noise the blonde could hear was the blood rushing in his ears. He could feel his cheeks heating up and had the distinct urge to hide from that gaze, but was frozen. Naruto jabbed a finger in his side, making Minato jump in his chair and hiss in a breath. He blushed even harder, and tried to smile. He swore he saw the teen still standing in front of the room chuckle. It did nothing to make him feel better. He finally managed to tare his gaze away and burry his burning face in his hands. Shino took his seat, two up and one over from the now thoroughly embarrassed Namikaze. Minato didn't have the courage to look over at the teen sitting in front of him, so he turned his head to face his twin.

Naruto smirked at him, blue eyes shining with mirth. He mouthed the word 'smooth' at his brother and Minato kicked himself firmly in his head. What the hell had possessed him to do that? To so blatantly check out the new kid? He had to be out of his fucking mind. Taking a deep breath to calm his still racing heart, he chanced a glance at the brunette. Golden eyes laughed at him and he was rewarded with a smirk at the shocked look that passed over his face before he blushed and turned back to face Naruto.

The smaller blonde had a hand over his mouth trying to contain his laughter. Minato glared at him. He didn't find his current situation nearly as funny as his twin did. His shoe made contact with the laughing Namikaze's calf and Naruto squeaked in response.

"Minato-kun," Kakashi's voice echoed through the room and said blonde stiffened. Wide blue eyes looked up at his sensei, pleading for the man not to embarrass him further. The man only smiled at him and said, "Save the horse play for outside of my class room."

Minato felt his cheeks redden further and he nodded his head enthusiastically. Kakashi eyed him knowingly and chuckles from his class mates could be heard. The blonde made the mistake of glancing over towards the Aburame. The brunette had turned sideways in his seat and was wearing the same smirk as before. Minato groaned and buried his face in the comfort of his arms. This had to be the worst first day of school, ever.

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><p>Shino lounged against the wall outside of his new class room. Due to a work transfer, his father and he had had to move from their small quite house in the country where his father commuted to work, to the hustle and bustle of Tokyo city. The teen had taken it all in stride, unfazed by everything that had happened so far. He was a smart guy and it was easy for him to figure out how to function normally in the city. The subway system was still giving him, problems though, mostly due to the fact that if he sat down for the trip, he generally was lulled to sleep by the slight rocking of the train. He had missed his stop the last three times he had rode the damn thing. So he had opted to just walk to school this morning, as not to be late for his first day.<p>

The sound of running feet echoed in the hallway and Shino turned to see two teens dashing down the hallway. They were both blondes and looked to be identical twins, even though one was taller and slightly broader than the other. The two teens slid to a halt in front of the door to the Aburame's new class and paused to readjust their uniforms and bags. Then they opened the door and walked in as if they hadn't just been running to beat the bell. The door swung closed with a _click_.

After a few moments, the golden eyed teen caught sight of the sensei inside making a gesture at the door and heard his name announced. With that he stepped in the room, no nervousness in his body. He didn't get nervous, and if he ever did, it took a lot. Begin in a new school and having to make new friends was kind of exciting. He knew he had an okay personality but he had his flaws like everyone did. The biggest being he held grudges more than he should. But that was something he couldn't help. It was just who he happened to be, like his dad just happened to have a really odd happy side to him that only came out when he was drinking.

The tall teen turned to face the class room. Eyes of every color settled on him and he watched as a few people exchange looks, along with the two blondes he had seen rushing earlier. Raising his hand he greeted the room as a whole with a smile and a, "Yo."

He saw some smirks and chuckles at his choice of greeting but he didn't really care. Golden eyes locked on the form of the taller blonde who was sitting near the back of the room. Cerulean blue eyes were taking him in, and seemed to be locked on his hip. Those same eyes trailed up the Aburame's body and finally locked on his eyes. The other teen's eyes widened and he blushed but couldn't seem to look away from him. Shino smirked and raised one eye brow. Never before in his life had he ever been so blatantly checked out by another guy, and he found it didn't bother him in the least. He had never really thought about his sexuality to that point. He had dated and such but had never been serious about any one of the girlfriends he had had. Now his interest in this new person had been perked. Since they were in the same class, he would have plenty of time to figure out this new fact.

"I just moved here because my dad had a job transfer. I like biology," he told them and it was accompanied by some more giggles but a few looked interested, like they hadn't expected someone to own up to the fact that liked any class, especially a science. The blonde's expression didn't change and he looked transfixed. Shino saw the smaller of the two reach over and jab him. The taller jumped and then blushed even harder, his whole face turning a dark red color. As soon as he realized he was still staring, he buried his head in his hands. The gesture made Shino smile again. _Cute,_ he thought as he made his way to the only seat available in the room. The lanky teen flopped down, placing his bag on the floor beside him. The boy to his right smiled at him and waved.

"I'm Rokku Lee," the black haired teen told him cheerfully. Shino smiled back and waved back with a little less enthusiasm. Before the Lee could say anything else, Shino took the chance to look over his shoulder at the blonde in the back. Blue meet gold and the blonde looked shocked that he had even looked at Shino again. His blue eyes widened impossibly before he turned to stare at the teen beside him. Shino smiled to himself and turned back to face the front of the class room before Kakashi's voice rang out.

"Minato-kun, save the horse play for outside of my class room," the teacher's voice was teasing and he had a small smile on his face. The Aburame turned in his seat in time to see the blonde blushing profusely and then burying his head in his arms on his desk. There was just something about the boy that seemed to catch his attention. _So, his name is Minato,_ the brunette thought to himself. He turned to smile at the teen beside him who had apparently taken up conversation with the Aburame without the tall teen's knowledge. Lee proceeded to talk his ear off for the rest of homeroom and finally went quite when the first class of the day started. Shino risked a glance over his shoulder once again, but Minato had his face buried in his work book now. Apparently he had been embarrassed enough for one day.

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><p>Minato grumbled to himself as he pulled the needed stuff from his bag for his next class, which also happened to be his worst, Chemistry. Naruto was leaning against his desk as he watched most of the students file out of the class room. The new kid, Shino, was currently chatting away with Lee as the two of them made their way out of the room. The tall brunette was nodding every so often as the slightly shorter teen rambled on in his usual fashion. The smaller blonde saw him answer a question every so often but beside that the Aburame didn't say much. As the new guy made his way out of the class room, he glanced over his shoulder at the brothers and Naruto smiled, waving at the brunette. An eyebrow went up but Shino turned and continued on his way.<p>

Minato huffed as he finally had all the things he needed and stood from his sitting position. His twin had a smirk on his face; Minato leveled him with a glare. Naruto opened his mouth to say some smart ass comment but Minato cut him off.

"Don't you even, or I'll talk to Kankuro on our way home today," he told his twin threateningly. Blue eyes widened before they glared at him. Naruto clamped his mouth shut with a snort and hefted the book and notebook in his arms higher. Kankuro was a college student who worked at a music store not too far from their house and the smaller Namikaze had, as Kiba had so eloquently put it, a raging hard-on for the older man. Naruto had blushed profusely at the comment but hadn't shot it down either, proving the Inuzuka right.

"That's what I thought," Minato told him as they walked out of the room. Naruto ignored him but fell in step beside his brother all the same. Once again, they made it to their room just as the bell rang. It seemed they were destined to be late for every class today, period. Minato paused and soon realized that the only available table left now was right in front of the table Shino and Lee had sat up at. The taller of the two blondes groaned lowly and Naruto smirked in evil delight and drug his brother towards the table. Minato followed grudgingly, looking down to watch his feet shuffle across the tiled floor. He refused to look at the other group and placed his stuff on the table, sliding on to the stool and promptly burying his head in his arms once again. Before he could even take a relieved breath, Naruto turned to the table behind them.

"Hi," the bright blonde said happily, "I'm Namikaze Naruto and this is my brother, Minato, as you already know." Minato stiffened.

"Hi," a deep voice greeted them and was followed by Lee's happy 'Hey, Naruto-kun!' When Minato still hadn't moved from his hiding spot, his twin grabbed the back of his shirt and jerked him into an upright sitting position. The blonde let out a shocked squeak and nearly fell off the stool with the momentum. He grabbed at the edge of the stool, managing not to topple over. Naruto chuckled and Minato made a mental note to embarrass the living shit out of his brother the next time he saw Kankuro.

The taller blonde turned around slowly, an awkward smile on his lips. Gold eyes laughed at him, making the blonde blush once again. If he didn't stop with that, he was going to get light headed from all of the blood rushing to his face. He waved shakily and Shino smiled at him as he returned the gesture.

"Hi." Minato was surprised that he managed to even get the word out without stuttering. Shino looked even better close up. Oddly golden eyes sat in an angular olive skinned face, alluding to his heritage. The color of his skin made the color of his irises that much more exotic and shocking. Long lashes brushed high cheek bones each time he blinked and Minato felt a bit mesmerized. A hand waved in front of his face and the blonde jumped, only to realize he had been staring, again. He blinked and met Shino's eyes. Golden eyes sparkled, laughter apparent on his face even if he wasn't making any noise.

The door to the class room opened and the blonde didn't get a chance to say anything else to the brunette. He turned in his seat to face the front and was met with a seemingly familiar person. Their sensei was tall, at least six foot and then some. Chestnut colored hair stood in a similar way that Shino's did but his was cut shorter, probably because he was a teacher. Bright green eyes sat behind half-rim glasses, hiding their stunning color somewhat. He wore a white button up shirt under the usual white lab coat. His tie was a light green color and matched his eyes. His hands were shoved in his jacket pockets as he observed the room. Why did he look so familiar?

"My name is Aburame Shibi and I am the new Chemistry teacher." So that was why the man looked so familiar. He was Shino's dad. This was probably how the brunette had gotten into the school so fast, his father was teaching here. The Namikaze glanced over his shoulder at Shino but the tall male was watching the front of the class room in much the same manner as the other students. He wasn't the least bit affected by the fact that his dad was going to be teaching one of his classes. Minato would have been scared shitless if he ever found out one of his parents was teaching at his school. But not this guy, he was as calm and collected as any other time.

The class went smoothly, until right at the end of class. They had been given a few chemicals to mix in a very specific way and order. Naruto, being who he was, managed to get the entire process wrong and cause a small explosion at their table. Minato jumped in surprise and did fall over with his chair when a small _bang!_ sounded beside him. He blinked up at his twin form the tiled floor and watched as Naruto patted out a small flame on his sleeve. In true Namikaze form, it seemed, he fell off of his stool as well.

Shibi raised an eyebrow and observed his student's actions as the small blonde looked up at the black and burnt remains of the beaker and the table. Green eyes laughed down at him and Lee moved from his seat to help the blonde up off the floor. He looked a little shocked and was breathing heavily, a blush creeping up his cheeks. Blue eyes settled on the destruction he had caused at his table before turning to look at his sensei apologetically.

"I-I'm sorry, Aburame-sensei," he stuttered. Shibi nodded and just held out a hand.

"Your arm, Naimkaze-kun," was the only thing he said. Naruto blinked and held up the arm that had caught a flame, which was a stroke of luck. It had been the _only_ thing to catch fire. Shibi ran a finger over the singed part of Naruto's shirt, and the rolled up the sleeve gently. A small red blotch stood out against the teen's tanned skin.

"Only a first degree," he stated, "You are a very lucky person." Naruto nodded his head. Yes, he was a very, very lucky person. When the beaker had shattered, he had almost had a heart attack. And he was thankful that he hadn't gotten covered in glass or caught the table on fire.

"Next time, read the instructions first and follow them exactly," his sensei admonished him. Naruto's blush darkened

"Yes, sensei."

"Good." His arm was dropped and Shibi continued on his walk around the class room. Minato pushed himself to his feet and dusted himself off. His eyes were fixed on the table and he eyed Naruto.

"How the hell do you manage to get yourself into this stuff?" he asked his twin as he picked up his stool and sat back down to finish his own small project. Naruto glared at him and sat back down at the table after he reassured Lee that he was fine. They finished the rest of class in silence.

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><p>When the bell sounded, the brothers turned in their papers and dashed for their home room to drop off their books. Lee was close behind them, almost literally throwing his books on his desk. The three of them slipped out the door just as Shino was making his way inside. Lee called out at him to meet them at the cafeteria and the brunette raised his hand in recognition. The talkative teen had already invited him to sit with their group at lunch but the Aburame wasn't inclined to move at the same speed his new friends were. Were they even friends? He guessed so; they were the closest thing to friends that he had made so far at this new school, even if they were a bit eccentric. Naruto setting himself alight and almost blowing up the chem-lab was pretty funny, but his twin's reaction had been just as hilarious. The way Minato had toppled over with his seat had made the stoic male chuckle to himself. Lee had been seriously worried for his friend, though, and hadn't been satisfied when he had sat back down at their table that the blonde was really okay.<p>

Naruto did look shaken but the moment that bell rung, the blonde had been in full rush mode, as had his brother. The brunette smirked as he thought back to the taller Namikaze's constant blushing. The teen really was cuter with pink dusting his cheeks. Not only that, but he seemed to be very attentive in his classes, unless his brother did something outrageous. He hadn't been very talkative during their lessons but always knew the answer when called upon. So he had brains, or so it seemed. He had been less than enthusiastic in Chemistry. Maybe that was bad subject for the blonde; it sure seemed to be one for Naruto.

When Shino finally arrived at the packed cafeteria and made it through the line of his choosing, Lee, Naruto, and Minato had already selected a large round table by the large wall of windows. When Naruto spotted him, the blonde stood in his chair to wave over everyone else's heads. Golden eyes widened when he saw the small teen wobble slightly but sighed in relief when the Namikaze regained his balance and sat back down.

Shino sat down by the window, preferring not to have mass amount of people walking behind him. Lee and Naruto didn't seem to have the same problem, as they had seated themselves on the other side of the table. Minato had taken a seat closer to the windows but not directly in front of them. The larger twin was firmly not looking at the brunette, so Shino opted to try and make the seemingly shy teen talk, but he didn't get the chance.

"Lee-kun!" a loud voice sounded before small arms were wrapped around Lee and a small brunette was nuzzling into the Rokku's neck.

"Kiba, I can't breathe," the larger teen said as he tugged at the arms around his neck.

"Oh! Sorry!" the brunette said and pulled back from the neck he had face planted. Yellow-green eyes sparkled happily down at the other teen and Lee wasn't released. Chocolate colored hair stuck up in all directions, even curling in places. Smooth tanned skin stretched to accommodate the smile on Kiba's face, bringing the Aburame's eyes to the four piercing adorning the brunette's face. Two small labret studs sat on either side above his upper lip and the same below his bottom one. It was an odd look, but Shino had a feeling it fit the small brunette perfectly.

"This is Inuzuka Kiba," Lee introduced the teen as he wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into his lap. Kiba ginned at him and hugged the Rokku to him.

"Kiba-kun is fine," he told the new guy, but was paying more attention to Lee than anyone else at the table. Naruto and Minato ignored the public displays of affection, seemingly used to it.

"Aburame Shino," he replied, lifting a hand in greeting.

"Shino-kun," the Inuzuka said happily and then turned back to the teen he was sitting on.

"I missed you," the small brunette almost whined as he cuddled Lee to him.

"You saw him Saturday," a new voice said and Shino watched as another brunette with a very spiky ponytail sat his tray down. He seemed to be another who favored piercings. Each earlobe contained a small steel stud, while two steel half loops sat close together and close to the corner of his lower lip. The teen literally fell into his chair, but he managed to do it with grace, amazingly enough. Kiba ignored the comment.

"How are honors classes, Shika?" Kiba asked and laughed when golden-brown eyes leveled him with a glare.

"Troublesome," he said and picked up his chopsticks, poking at the food on his plate.

"Everything's 'troublesome' to you," a raven haired teen said as he sat beside the person Kiba had labeled as 'Shika.' The brunette glanced over at the newest addition to their table and picked up a piece of food, popping it in his mouth. After a moment's chewing, he replied.

"And you're the biggest offender Sasuke-_chan,_" he said mockingly. Obsidian eyes glared at the teen beside him.

"So, how's the happy couple today?" Minato asked and was rewarded with glares from the two teens. The pony-tailed brunette opened his mouth to answer, but Sasuke stopped him.

"If you say troublesome, I will stab you in your eye," the raven said as he eyed the teen beside him. 'Shika' paused and then snapped his mouth shut, and went back to eating his food.

"Met Uchiha Sasuke and Nara Shikamaru," Kiba introduced the two, "They're the 'happy couple' of the group." He was about to answer with his own introduction, again, when the table erupted with commotion. Seven more teen's arrived at the table at the same time, each taking up a seat or sitting in a lap like Kiba. Sabaku Gaara was a red head of average height with piercing teal colored eyes. He nodded in acknowledgement and went about eating. The girl who appeared to be his girlfriend was an inch or so shorter than Gaara and had dark brown hair that hung down her back. Minato introduced her as Luan Tenten. Gray-green eyes smiled at the Aburame and she waved at him. Akimichi Choji was a tall broad teen with shaggy brown hair and dark green eyes. The girl who took up residence in his lap was short, shorter than Naruto, and had a light pink hair color with green eyes. She introduced herself as Haruno Sakura. Both teens instantly fell into conversation with the Aburame. This saved many of the others from asking their own questions but piqued a few others' their interest.

Kiba joined in the conversation from his perch as did the blonde twins and the two other females who had shown up. Yamanake Ino had long blonde hair pulled up into a high ponytail and sky blue eyes regarded him with interest. The other female beside her, whose hand Ino was yet to release, was Hyuuga Hinata. Both her and her cousin, Hyuuga Neji, looked almost identical. Hinata's blue black hair was cut short in the back but longer in the front. The edges of her bangs hung just below her chin, and it framed her face well. Eyes an odd mixture of gray and purple watched him talk, letting the others ask all the questions. She appeared to be a bit shy, but her talkative girlfriend left little room for shyness. Neji didn't talk much, just watched the group with a slightly bored look in his lavender colored eyes. His coal colored hair was pulled into a high ponytail that bounced when he moved or spoke.

As everyone conversed amongst themselves, Shino watched the Inuzuka talk. Golden eyes watched as the boy spoke, following the movement of those odd piercings he had.

"Kiba-kun." The name felt odd as he said it. The brunette turned to look at him quizzically, chewing on a piece of food he had stolen from Lee's plate.

"Hm?" he hummed before he swallowed.

"What are those piercings called?" the Aburame asked, gesturing around his own mouth with his chopsticks.

"Oh," the Inuzuka said, and he reached a hand up to touch the studs, "They're canine bites, but have other names, too. They are basically a combination of angle bites," he touched the two in his top lip, "And snake bites." He touched the bottom two.

"I was wondering. Where I come from, not many people have lip piercings," he explained. In the country, about the only thing anyone got pierced were their ears. Kiba nodded.

"Shika has spider bites," he told Shino and Shikamaru looked up when he heard his name. When he realized he wasn't really needed, he went back to lounging against an irritated looking Sasuke.

"Who did them? I know you're not eighteen," the Aburame inquired.

"Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother, did them for us last year. He owns a place down from his apartment. It was a birthday present and since this school is so lax and my mom didn't really care, we did it." Shino nodded, his curiosity satisfied.

"Yoshino, Shikamaru's mom, about had a heart attack, though," Sasuke said, glancing down at the teen, who seemed to be falling asleep on his shoulder. The raven shrugged his shoulder, jostling the brunette. Shikamaru glared at him before reaching over to pinch the Uchiha's side. This erupted in a small argument that ended right back where they had started, with the Nara laying on an even more irritated looking Sasuke.

"Where's Sai?" Naruto asked as he finished off his drink.

"He said something about going to see Asuma-sensei," Neji told him and the blonde rolled his eyes.

"Don't expect him to show up, then," the blonde muttered.

Lunch finished with comfortable conversation, and Shino couldn't help but think that, no matter how odd this group was, he had been accepted with open arms and was sure he had made many friends.

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><p>Shino kicked the door to the apartment closed with one foot before freeing his feet from the shoes he wore. One hand reached up to tug the tie around his neck loose and he sighed when he didn't feel like it was strangling him anymore. Tossing the messenger bag on the couch, he padded into the small kitchen. Pulling a soda from the refrigerator, he looked around the small room.<p>

It had been a large change from the spacious house he had grown used to. But when his mother had left and his father had transferred, this is all they needed. It wasn't a small apartment but it wasn't as large as some. It didn't really bother him much; he didn't have to have a large amount of space. The brunette was content in the new life, the new school, the new city. It took a lot to shake him, and he hadn't found something here that could, yet.

Pushing off the counter he had been leaning against, he padded back into the living room. One glance at the clock told him it was almost six. His father should have been home by now but he may have gone out with his co-workers. Shino glanced over at the answering machine, and sure enough, the little red light was blinking. Pressing the button, he listened to his father's deep voice as he told his son that he would be going out with a few of his new co-workers and that he might be home a little late.

The brunette spread his school work across the coffee table, settling down to do the large amount of homework he had received on the first day. It seemed like the school was aiming to make up for their lax policies in other areas by having a high academic standard for its students. No wonder his father had had to pull a few stings to get him in as soon as they made it to Tokyo. That hadn't exempted him from their little exam, though. And that thing had been a bitch, to put it nicely.

Shino was good in every subject and had no problem finishing up all of his homework before his dad showed up. He was putting all of his notebooks and papers away when he heard the lock on the door click. He glanced up from what he was doing to see his dad enter the room, a pizza box in his hands. Shibi smiled at his son and made his way to the kitchen. Shino made it into the room and opened the box almost as soon as it was sat on the counter. His father raised an eyebrow as the brunette tore through two slices before he paused.

"Hungry?' he dad asked, voice flitting with laughter. Shino nodded and poured a cup of water from the picture in the fridge.

"Why didn't you eat?"

"Homework, and thanks dad," he told his father downing the cup of water and sitting back on the counter. He eyed the pizza box, contemplating weather or not he was feeling up for another slice. Choosing not to partake in another piece, he stuck the food in the fridge, box and all. He returned to the living room, flopping down on the couch by his father.

"How was the first day?" Shibi asked as he glanced over at his son.

"Fine. Good, actually," he replied after he re thought it. Shibi nodded, leaning back against the cushions with a sigh.

"How was your first day?" Shino inquired. Shibi made a face and sat back up, resting his elbows on his knees. The elder Aburame ran his fingers through his hair, showing a bit of agitation.

"It was…different. Really different," he said after a pause, "They're all so much more talkative than I'm used to. But friendly, un-judging, thankfully." Shino nodded and the two sat there for a few minutes in silence. He glanced up at the clock and groaned when he realized it was past ten.

"I'm taking a bath and going to bed." Shibi nodded, reclining back against the couch with his eyes closed. Shino picked up the bag that was sitting by the coffee table and threw it in his room before making his way to the bathroom with a pair of fresh boxers in hand.

The Aburame felt much more relaxed as he stepped out of the now steamy bathroom. All the lights in the house were out, Shibi having gone to bed already. His dad favored morning showers, and would rather go right to bed when he got home. Shino rubbed at his hair as he walked down the hall to his room. Shutting the door quietly behind him, he tossed the towel in his hands in the basket near the door.

The brunette laid down with a sigh, stretching out on his back. Golden eyes blinked up at the ceiling as Shino let his mind wonder. He thought back to his day at school and all of the new people he had met. They were each individuals, that was for sure. None of them could be classified as normal, but then again, there really was no such thing as _normal_. There was socially accepted and many of the kids in that group had fallen shy of that line.

Lee could have passed, had it not been for his crazy teen of a boyfriend. Kiba was special, in many ways, or that was what Shino had gathered form the small encounter he had had with the boy. The small brunette hadn't seemed at all bothered by the looks he got from his fellow class mates as he sat happily in the Rokku's lap. Lee had been oblivious, or just hadn't cared. The teen was tall enough that Shino knew no one wanted to mess with him, or the small brunette he held close. It wasn't that Lee was bulky, but you could see the muscle he had under his uniform. You could see it in the way he walked, the way he carried himself. That was not someone the Aburame wanted to meet in a dark alley.

Then there had been what their group called the 'happy couple.' Nara Shikamaru and Uchiha Sasuke were the last two people Shino would have thought would get together if he had met them apart from each other. You could tell they really did care for each other by the way they touched. A small caress here, a peak on the forehead there, each small gesture spoke volumes about how much they loved each other. The outside world as a whole may not see it, but the Aburame was observant. He had seen the couple whispering quietly together at more than one occasion today at lunch. But that didn't mean that their fighting was fake, not in the least. They really did argue, and it seemed they did it a lot, considering how the others seemed to ignore them. Shino was willing to bet that one of them would be walking funny by the end of the week, but he wasn't sure which one it would be.

Gaara was the silent type; anyone who met the kid would know that right off the bat. But there were hidden layers behind that cold façade. The Aburame figured it would be months until he got to see all there was to Sabaku Gaara. Unless Tenten being near him made it easier for him to open up to people, then Shino had no idea what would happen with getting to know the teen. Tenten, even though she had remained silent for the majority of lunch, had smiled happily at him. She seemed content to just listen to what everyone else was talking about. The Aburame had the feeling if he ever needed to know anything about the daily lives of her friends, she would have the information.

Choji and Sakura looked like the usual pretty girl and jock couple on the outside, but from what Shino had seen, their relationship went far beyond that. Sakura loved and trusted the Akimichi with her life. He couldn't think of a time when he had seen a look of love so pure in someone's eyes. It may sound too sappy for the pink haired teen, but the way she acted with Choji differed from how he had seen her act in the hall with her friends later in the day. Choji was content. That was the only way the Aburame could sum up the way the large teen acted. He was content with his life, content with Sakura. Shino wouldn't be surprised if the two got

married right out of high school.

Hinata was like a copy of her cousin, Neji, only not as silent. Shino guessed that she had picked up the more talkative aspect of her personality from Ino. Ino didn't seem to be the quite type but she wasn't loud, either. Out of the entire group, those two were a close run for normal behind Choji and Sakura, even if they weren't a conventional couple. They fit like puzzle pieces, each seeming to get something from the other that boosted their personality.

Neji was the only person besides the twins that didn't seem to have a partner, but Shino didn't know for sure. He hadn't heard much out of the Hyuuga during the time at lunch, which meant you had to be someone he had been around for a decent amount of time before he would open up. Shino had seen the type, many had moved to and from his old home town during the time he had been there. Neji was going to be a harder person to figure out than the others.

Last were the twins. He would have called them identical but Minato was slightly broader and taller than Naruto. Naruto wasn't as broad in the shoulders and he was smaller in general. And Shino didn't have nearly as much interest in the smaller blonde. Minato intrigued him. The blonde's blatant staring and inability to stop coupled with the considerable amount of blushing made Shino chuckle. The poor teen had been so embarrassed by the whole situation that he hadn't looked at the Aburame much during lunch. It made Shino want to tease the poor boy, but he was sure it wouldn't be appreciated by the smaller man.

The brunette tuned over to lie on his side facing the wall. One hand pulled the covers up over his frame while the other slid under the edge of his pillow. He was going to have to make sure he got to know more about the little blonde sooner rather than later.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. Chapter two is currently being written. Tell me what you thought! I love hearing form my readers! On another note, I have a poll up of four possible couples for any readers who want more crack or one-to-three shots from me. Thank you for reading!


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